Tens of millions of mobile phones in the UK received a message and sounded a loud alarm in the second nationwide test of the government’s public alert system. The test came through on mobiles connected to 4G and 5G networks at around 3pm on Sunday, with the text explaining that the system would be used in the future to «warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby».
Emergency alert as it happened
Many across the nation paused to look at their phones, though some Sky News readers wrote in to say their devices hadn’t sounded.
After the test, the government said there were a number of reasons why some may not have received the alert, including that the device may not have had signal, could have been in airplane mode, may have had emergency alerts settings disabled, might not have been enabled for 4G and 5G, or may have been switched off entirely.
The government had warned about the alert in advance to avoid worrying recipients.
The Super League derby between Hull KR and Hull FC was subsequently pushed back until 3.05pm, while the alarm happened between overs at England’s third ODI cricket match against South Africa at Southampton. The Ireland v New Zealand Women’s Rugby World Cup match at Brighton was briefly paused by the referee while the alert sounded.
Fans had been warned via a message on the big screen about the alert. Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, said: «Thank you for taking part in today’s test, which saw tens of millions of phones successfully receive the message across the country.
«The test took just seconds, but will help the government keep the country safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The next time you hear the siren, it may be a real emergency, so remember to stay calm and follow the advice in the Emergency Alert.» The alarm system, which is intended to be used in situations such as extreme weather, flooding, and fires, was first tested in April 2023. It has been used to issue real warnings five times, including in January during Storm Eowyn to warn people in Scotland and Northern Ireland about severe weather, and in February last year to warn people in Plymouth about a 500kg unexploded Second World War bomb found in a local resident’s back garden.
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